Artist&#39;s sketch box



Nov. 21, 1950 ABEL 2,531,189

ARTIST S SKETCH BOX Filed Sept. 15', 1947 Day/0 M Z7554 JNVENTOR.

BY XM Patented Nov. 21, 1950 AltTISTS SKETCH BOX David M. Abel, New York, N. Y., assignor to Dave Blau Application September 15, 1947, Serial No. 774,154

"and more particularly to an improved artist sketch box. Boxes of this class are used to contain tubes of pigment, small bottles of medium, brushes, palette knives, palettes, canvas panels and the like and are particularly desirable from the point of view of convenience and portability.

Size of the box is frequently dictated by the size of the panels which are enclosed therein and it is desirable that the box be only slightly larger than the size of the panels which it contains. For this purpose the front wall of the cover has been heretofore connected to the top wall of the cover in a hinged manner.

It is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide sketch box construction in which only a single set of hinges is required for the interconnection of the box parts.

In the use of sketch boxes, it is desirable that the painting panels may be quickly and easily removed or replaced. In accordance with the present invention it is necessary only to open the main cover element in order to have the painting panels right at hand.

The main body of boxes of this kind carry many loose small articles and is usually closed by an auxiliary cover which takes the'form of a rectangular palette. In prior art constructions, one longitudinal edge of the palette is hooked beneath projections extending forwardly from the inner surface of the rear wall of the body element, while the forward longitudinal edge of the palette is maintained in position by a rotatable latch.

Another object herein lies in the provision of sketch box structure wherein the palette element may act as an auxiliary cover for the main box body in which however, said palette is maintained in the closed position thereof by palette latching elements secured to the cover element.

Another object herein lies in the provision of sketch box structure aflording the aforementioned advantages, yet which may be manufactured at lower cost.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fully appear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of a sketch box with the cover element in an opened position thereof. In this view the palette element and painting panels have been removed for the purpose of clarity.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view of the box shown in Fig. 1 with the cover element in a closed position, and

3 Claims. (01. 312-473) 2 the palette element and painting panels in position.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view as might be seen from the right of Fig. 1 with the cover element in the closed position thereof.

Fig. 4. is a fragmentary and elevational view as seen from the left of Fig. 1 showing the cover element supporting strut in an erected position thereof.

In accordance with the invention, the artist sketch box is generally indicated by reference character 10 and includes broadly a main body element H, a cover element |2, a palette element I5 and a pair of palette latching elements and BI.

The main box element may be composed of any suitable material such as wood and includes a bottom wall II, a front wall |8, a rear wall l9, end walls 20 and 2|, a plurality of dividing members 23, 24, 25 and 26 and a pair of bolster members 21, only the left one of which is seen in Fig. l. The lower and end edges of the dividing members are secured to the parts of the body element H where they touch in suitable fashion, as for example glueing, and this is also true of the bolster members 21. The upper edges of the dividing members 23--26 and the bolster members 21 are preferably in the same plane, so as to form an upper surface 30 to carry the under surface 3| of the palette element l5. The height of the surface 30 above the upper surface 32 of the bottom wall H is such as to position the upper surface 33 so as to be at the same level with the upper surface 34 of the rear wall |9.

The front and rear edges 35 and 35 of the palette |5 are distant from each other an amount slightly less than the distance between the inner surface 31 of the front wall I8 and the inner surface 38 of the rear wall |-9. The end edges (not shown) of the palette l5 are similarly spaced from the inner surfaces 40 and 4| of the end walls 20 and 2| respectively.

The cover element I2 conforms in general size to the body element H and includes a top wall 41, a front wall 48, a rear wall 49 and end walls 50 and 5|. The box In, in the closed position thereof has the bottom wall I1 and the top wall 41 parallel. This positioning is obtained by having the combined heights of the front walls l8 and 48, rear walls I9 and 49, end walls 20 and 50, and end walls 2| and 5| equal. As best seen in Fig. l, the front wall 48 is of considerably less height than the front wall It; while the rear wall 19 and the rear wall 43 are substantially of equal height. The top surfaces of the end walls 20 and 2| are angularly arranged so that they taper downwardly in a rearward direction. The end walls 50 and 5| have their lower edges angularly arranged so that they taper upwardly in a 10!? ward direction.

The lower edge of the rear wall 49 is connected to the upper edge of the rear wall I 9 by a plurality of hinges 44 and the box I is maintained in a closed position by the disconnectable fasteners 45 which may be of a well known type having a pivotal hook member 43 and a rotatable latch member 46.

Secured to the inner opposed surfaces of the end walls and 5| are a pair of palette latching elements and 6|. The palette latching elements 60 and 61 are substantially identical except that the element 60 may be referred to as a left hand one and the element 6! as a right hand one. The elements 60 and GI are secured to the cover element l2 in any suitable manner as by glueing'. Each of the elements 60 and 61 is of a length substantially equal to the distance between the front wall 48 and the rear wall 49 and of a height substantially equal to the distance between the under surface of the top wall 4! and the upper surface 33 of the palette member l5 when the latter is in place upon the upper surface 30. The forward edges 62 and 63 of the elements 80 and 6| are downwardly and rearwardly curved to facilitate the entrance of the elements 60 and GI into the body element II. A supporting strut 65 is pivotally attached at the lower end thereof to the inner surface of the end wall 20 and at the upper end thereof is provided with an inwardly directed pin 66 which is selectively insertabl'e within a plurality of orifices 68. The strut 65, when the pin 66 is thus engaged, serves to support the cover element I2 in a plurality of angular positions with respect to the body element II. When the box it is closed, the

s'tru't 65 is rotated in a counter clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, to rest within the notch 69 in the dividing member 24.

The opposed inner surfaces of the palette latching elements 60 and 6| are provided with a plurality of spaced ribs 70 and H. The ribs are parallel and are spaced a sufhcient distance to allow the lateral edges of the painting panels to be slideably inserted between them, in the grooves which are thereby formed. Thus, when the box 'I 0 is in the open position shown in Fig. 1, any one of the several panels 80 may be inserted or removed and such shifting thereof unobstructed by the front wall48 which is located upwardly of the innermost groove. When,- however, the cover element I2 is closed, the panel 80 are prevented from coming out of the box by the upper portion of the front wall Hi. When the cover element i2 is in the closed position thereof, the then lower edges 82 and 83 0f the latching elements 60 and S l hold the palette element =I'5 securely in position so that the chambers formed by the dividing members 23-26 are completely closed and the various painting accessories are prevented from falling out or coming in contact with the panels. Thepanels being'spaced may be put into the box in a wet condition so that they do not become smeared.

It may thus be seen that I have provided a novel and useful artist s'l'etch bo'x construction which is sturdy and simple, and which may be used with-a maximum of convenience and fa'cility. For example, when 'itis desired to close the box after work, it is necessary only to place the various tubes and brushes and so 'forth in'the chambers defined by the dividing members sa ce, to

lay the palette-element'ia: face'up uponth'esurface 30, to disengage the brace or strut 65,and

to close the cover and manipulate the locks 45. The lower edges 82 and 83 prevent the moist surface of the palette from contacting the painting panels thereabove and no additional manipulation of the front wall 48 is required as in prior art constructions.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. Sketch box construction for use with a painting panel comprising: a main body element having a front wall and a rear wall, the front wall being of greater height than the rear wall; a cover element having a front wall and a rear wall adapted in the closed position of said box to engage the front and rear walls respectively of the body element, the front wall on the cover element being of less height than the rear wall of the cover element; a pair of elements extending between the front and rear walls of the cover element and projecting inwardly of the box beyond said front wall; and means to support a painting panel on the said elements; whereby when the box is closed, said painting panel may not be removed and when the box is open, said painting panel may be removed by passing beneath the lower edge of the front wall of the cover element.

2. In a sketch box for use with a painting panel: a box cover element havin a plurality of vertical walls; a pair of elements connected to opposite vertical walls, said elements each projecting at one end thereof beyond the vertical wall to which it is attached; said elements having means thereon for removably supporting a painting panel, said means being entered at the ends thereof; whereby the painting panel may 'be rep) moved by movement lengthwise of said elements.

3. Sketch box construction comprising: a main body element; a cover element; a palette element; said body element having -.a front and area-r wall and a divider member of less height than said I frontwall; said cover element having a front wall and a, rear wall and a pair of palette latching elements between them, the latter extending 'below the lower edge of the front wall and adapted in the closed position of said box to project downwardly behindthe :front wall of :the body element;

said latching elements holding the palette element upon said divider; said latching elements having means thereon for detachably retaining *a painting panel, said'means being enterable-f-rom the front edges .of the latching elements, said front edges being positioned rearwardly of the front wall of the body element in the ;closed position -of said box whereby the painting ,panel 'is retained within the box. I 1

DAVID M. ABEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in :the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 215,310 Shepherd June 124, I879 230,548 'Gurley July 27, 1880 515,535 Schmidt "Feb. 27, 1894 626,141 Carter Ma 30, 1899 857,265 Wilcox June 18,1907

1;925;409 Shriver 'Sept. 5, 1933 

